Anatomy of a Dish: BroccoLeaf Caesar

With the growing concern about wasted food in America, we’ve seen a number of scrap-based dishes pop up on menus. But—little known fact--Melia Marden was serving a waste salad long before Dan Barber’s WastED dinner series kicked off a national trend. Her Broccoleaf Caesar Salad utilizes edible outer leaves that would typically be plowed back into the fields after harvesting broccoli crowns.

Star of the Show: Broccoli LeavesOften sold under the label “Broccoleaf”, these edible leaves are a by-product of commercial broccoli farming. They are available year-round and have that distinctively Brassica flavor.

Green juice-makers rejoice: leaves pack the same nutrient-dense punch as kale, but yield almost twice as much juice.